Method and means for identifying rubber goods



. m n M 0 Sept. 6, 1932. J. R. FOLEY METHOD.AND MEANS FOR IDENTIFYINGRUBBER GOODS Filed Dec.

m m 9 n .9 0 o in E 60 n wfle E u l hh U m m A. V WE E m m pd L L m L LE TIA E W 5 W nc m W a B {A Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHNRUSSELL FOLEY, 01' m YORK, RZ Y.

METHODAND m5 303 IDENTIFYDIG RUBBER GOODS Application filed December 11,1929. Serial 110. 418,888.

This invention relates to the identification of rubber goods, and to amethod of applymg identification means to such goods.

In hospitals or the like, and particularly in hospitals having a numberof wards, rubber goods, such as hot water bottles,fice packs,

which the label is attached; and second, the

fact that the hot vulcanization changes the color of the patch, so thatdifferent colors cannot be employed to signify difl'erent wards of thehospital. Furthermore, such labels do not identify the date of theapplication thereof to the article, and consequently, it is impossibleto tell from such a label whether the .article has been in use fourmonths or four years.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved label,and a method of securing the same to rubber goods in such manner thatthe label may be applied by cold --vulc anization, aridwhen oncesecured, in

place, cannot be changed without mutilating the rubber article to whichit is attached.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an identification labelprovided with indications for-dates, wards and the like, whichindications may be punched before the label is applied to the goods,whereby portions of the goods will be displayed thorugh the punchedholes, and the identifi-' cation cannot be removed without destroyingthe article to which the label is applied.

With the foregoing objects outlined and,

with other objects in view which will appear as, .the descriptionproceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafterdescribed in detail, illustrated in the accompanyin drawing, and moreparticularl pointe out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 1s a plan view of a portion of anyrubber or rub erized article after a surface of such part has beenscraped to receive a first vulcanization compound.

Fig. 2 is a similar view after the first compound has been applied.

I Flg. 3 is a plan view of one form of label of thetype used in theinvention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, after a second vulcanizationcompound has been applied to the rubber article. F1g. 5 1s a plan viewof a portion of the rubber article after my improved rubberldentification label has been attached to the same.

In accordance with the invention, a part 6 of a hot water bottle, icepack, cushion ring, rubber sheet or any other rubber or rubberizedarticle, is first scraped with sandpaper or the like, ,to provide theouter surface of the same with a roughened spot 7 of approxi mately thesize of the label, (Fig. 3), which is to be attached thereto.

Then the first vulcanization compound is applied to this roughened spotas shown at 8 1n F1g. 2, to cover a space slightly larger 1n dlameterthan the label itself. This compound will evaporate, becoming dry to thetouch in about five or ten minutes after applicatlon. When dry to thetouch, a sec-- ond coat of the same compound is applied and allowed toalso become dry. Onlyv a small amount of this first compound is.necessary to each coat, but the first coat should be allowed to becomedry before the application of the second coat.

While the second coat is drying, the rubber identification label 9 isprepared to be applied to the goods. This label is usually mounted on apaper shield or backing which adheres to the back of the label by meansof any suitable adhesive, and the face of the label bears, for example,the name 10 of a particular hospital, a series of month indications 11,a series of year indications 12, and a series of private code markings13. Furthermore, the face of the labelsmay be colored in any single orcontrasting colors to signify any particular ward of the hospital, andas my vulcanization is of the cold type, such coloring will not beaffected during the vulcanization process.

In accordance with the invention, before the label is removed from itspaper backing, suitable indications are punched from the series 11, 12and 13 to indicate a particular month, year and private code, and thiswill leave the label in the condition shown in Fig. 5, in which 14indicates holes in the label through which portions of the article 6 areexhibited.

After the label has been punched, its backing sheet is removed, and thelabel is now ready for application to the article. At this time, a swabis used to apply a coating of a second vulcanization compound over thetwo coats of the first compound, as indicated at 15 in Fig. 4, carebeing taken to prevent the second compound from running over andspreading beyond the spot formed by the first compound.

Immediately after generously painting the spot 8 with the secondcompound, the rear of the punched label is applied to the spot 15, andthe label is held against the article until it is thoroughly attached,which requires about one or two minutes. Hand pressure is all that isnecessary to make adhesion positively permanent, and within a few hours,the label cannot be removed intentionally or otherwi se. The compoundstake about thirty minutes to set. When the compounds have set, thearticle with its attached label, will have the appearance shown in Fig.5.

With regard to the vulcanizing compounds employed, it may be stated thatthe first is an attaching compound and/or cement with a basis of cruderubber, co-mingled with other substances, all held in solution andsuspension with a highly volatile ingredient, and

this compound is packed in an air-tight container, and so held until theneed for its immediate use. When applied to any finished, cured, orsemi-cured rubber, or rubberized article, in this liquid and suspendedstate, the volatile ingredient evaporates and leaves as a residue thecrude rubber substance in the state desired.

Upon this residue will, in turn, be applied a curing medium other thanheat, either directly or indirectly. This medium or second compound isalso to be an ingredient suspended in highly volatile matter, packed inan air-tight container, and so held until the time it is needed for use.

The combination of these two compoundsin the relation of each to theother, is such, that if another finished, cured, or semi-cured rubber orrubberized article is placed immediately in contact with the abovementioned residue, in combination with its curing medium, it will causethe two articles to become permanently attached to one another.

This simple procedure differentiates fromthe highly technical method ofcuring or treating rubber, and brings to the consumer, a method ofobtaining a desired result in the attaching or adhering of an finished,cured, or semi-cured rubber or ru berized articles, without the presentcom liment of extensive machinery or the use 0 intense heat, eitherdirectly or indirectly.

Furthermore, when one of the improved labels is prepared and attached inthls way, its color will not be affected, and its identification markingcannot be removed without mutilating the article to which the label isattached.

While I have disclosed a referred embodiment of the invention in sucmanner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in theart, I am aware that changes may be made in the details set forth,without departing from the spirit of the invention, as

expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of identifying rubber goods, comprising puncturing a rubberlabel to provide indications therein, and then applying the label to arubber article by cold vulcanization.

2. A method of identifying rubber articles, comprising punching a rubberlabel in such manner as to indicate a certain month and year, andapplying such label to the article by cold vulcanization.

3. A method of identifying highly flexible rubber articles of the kindemployed in hospitals, comprising mutilating a rubber label in suchmanner as to indicate a certain month and year, and then securing suchlabel to the article by cold vulcanization.

4. A method of identifying rubber hospital articles or the like,comprising roughening a surface of such an article, coating said surfacewith a. compound having a basis of crude rubber, held in solution andsuspense with a highly volatile ingredient, permitting said compound todry, then applying to the coated surface a second compound including aningredient suspended in highly volatile matter, then placing a rubberlabel on the coated surface and pressing said label against the articlefor a short time, and afterwards allowing the article with the appliedlabel, to rest until the compound sets. Y

5. A method of applying identification labels to rubber hospitalarticles or the like, consisting in roughening a surface of sucharticle, applying first and second coats of vulcanizing compounds to theroughened surface, punching identification marks in a rubber label, thenapplying such rubber label to the coated surface and permitting thelabel to become attached to the article by cold vulcanization.

6. A hospital identification label, comprising a rubber patch providedon its face with a delineated ace to bear the name of a hospital, and aprovided with consecutively arranged month and year indications adaptedto be punched from the label.

7 The combination with a flexible rubber article, of a rubberidentification patch united with the latter by cold vulcanization, saidpatch being provided on its face with a delineated space bearing thename of a hospital or an institution and also providedwith consecutivelyarranged month and year indications, the patch being perforated wheresome of said indlcations occur to form identification characters throughwhich the surface of the article is displayed. 1

8. The comblnation with a flexible rubber article, of a flexible rubberidentification patch united with the latter by vulcanization, said patchbeing rovided on its face with a delineated space aring'the name of anin-' stitution and also rovided with consecutively arran ed mont andyear indications, the atch being multilated where some of saidlndications occur to form identification characters.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JOHN RUSSELL FOLEY.

